No negotiations with rebel outfits : Meghalaya DGP

Shillong, May 2 (PTI) There will be no negotiations with rebel outfits in Meghalaya and counter insurgency operations in the Garo Hills against outlawed GNLA would continue, Director General of Police S B Singh said today.

“Our stand is that there will be no negotiations with any group as also made clear by the Ministry of Home Affairs joint secretary in charge of North East,” Singh told PTI.

“GNLA are cornered. They have been driven out of Durama Hills and they are on the run,” he said adding there would be no negotiation with the outlawed militant outfits responsible for killing, kidnapping and terrorizing the western parts of the state since late 2010.

The DGP lauded the effective action taken by Bangladesh in preventing militants from making that country a safe haven.

“It will be more effective (than fencing) if Bangladesh takes effective actions against the militants.

“It will also help if there are more interactions at the level of the deputy commissioners and superintendents of police,” he said.

Singh said ULFA(I) commander Dhrishti Rajkhowa, who is wanted by Assam and had made the jungles of Meghalaya his home until last year, has fled to Bangladesh following counter insurgency operations against GNLA militants.

He said the ultra leader, one of the staunchest supporters and ally of ULFA(I) chief Paresh Barua, was in the jungles in Garo Hills when his aide – a Garo tribal from Bangladesh was killed in an encounter in South Garo Hills district in February.

Last year police arrested a linkman from Dalu in West Garo Hills who aided the visit of the elusive Rajkhowa to a major GNLA camp in the Durama Hills in 2013 and in 2015.

Meghalaya police had in the past maintained that Rajkhowa had himself assisted GNLA in procuring arms, provided it with training in bomb making and helped ULFA(I)’s safe crossing to Bangladesh.

The GNLA in turn allowed ULFA(I) to keep their kidnapped victims at ITS Durama hills camp till the money demanded was paid, according to inputs received from Assam Police.